Canada has announced $47 million contributions to two “important” projects in Bangladesh.
The first will see Canada join BRAC’s Strategic Partnership Arrangement for the next five years (2021-2026), with a contribution of $45 million.
The second provides $2 million in additional Canadian funding to UNICEF for the ‘Strengthening Quality Education in Cox’s Bazar’ initiative, to support preparations for the reopening of schools and learning centres.
Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould made the announcement during her first-ever visit to Bangladesh ended on Thursday, the High Commission in Dhaka said. The visit took place virtually due to the pandemic.
During the visit, she met with partners from civil society, NGOs and international organizations to discuss their work in Bangladesh, and Canada’s continued support for Rohingya refugees, impacted host communities, and COVID-19 response.
Gould held a meeting with Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen during which she extended her congratulations for Bangladesh’s anticipated graduation from the Least Developed Countries group and expressed Canada’s appreciation for Bangladesh's inclusion of the most vulnerable Rohingya for the COVAX vaccination campaign.
She apprised the Foreign Minister of Canada’s "Together for Learning" campaign and its objective of making education available for all refugees, forcibly displaced and host community children and youth.
The two Ministers spoke about their shared interest in holding accountable those responsible for acts perpetrated against the Rohingya.
They also shared their priorities related to the pandemic response and climate change.
On August 12, her visit concluded with a live event held in Mohakhali’s Bashantek Slum where Canada is supporting critical COVID-19 prevention activities and skills training for the urban poor.
It was an opportunity to speak with young women and health care workers to learn about the challenges they face, and to hear their ideas on how to reduce the impacts of COVID-19 on their communities.
“This was my first visit to Bangladesh and, although it was virtual, it allowed me to hear first-hand people’s stories and the challenges they face,” she was quoted as saying in the statement.
“I was impressed by their resilience, and the remarkable progress taking place in Bangladesh. Canada has been a friend and development partner to Bangladesh for nearly 50 years. We are committed to continuing to tackle these challenges together, including to support the needs of refugees and people living in extreme poverty. This is why it was important for me, as Minister of International Development, to undertake this virtual visit at this particularly difficult moment marked by challenges ranging from public health, to the economy, climate change, and the continued Rohingya crisis,” she said.